Flow control fitting



. Apr i124, 1934. BUUR 1,955,733

I FLOW CONTROL FITTING Original Filed Aug. 9. 1922 INVENTOR Jose 0k B'jar J2 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24, 1934 arser @FFEQE FLOW CONTROLFITTING Joseph Bijur, New York, N. Y., assignor to Auto ResearchCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Griginal application August 9,1922, Serial No. 589,668. Divided and application June 5,

1928, Serial No.

282360, now latent No.

1,734,027, issued October 29, 1929. Divided and this application October8, 1929, Serial No.

My present invention relates primarily to chassis lubrication and ismore especially concerned with flow control devices of the general typedisclosed in my issued Patent No. 1,632,772 of June 14th, 1927, andknown as drip plugs.

While the drip plugs of my present invention are of general applicationto various distributing systems of the generic type disclosed in myissued patent, they have particular utility in the specific type of suchsystems where it becomes desirable or important to construct the leakpreventing drip plug check valves in such manner as to avoid the counterpressure of even a weak check valve spring. r

instead of a spring-seated check valve as disclosed in my issued patent,a flexible valve so light as to open under little pressure. The movementof such valve, away from its seat is limited 29 by appropriate stopmeans, so as to assure the return and seating thereof due to the slighttension of lubricant tending to leak out elsewhere in the system,thereby inhibiting such leakage.

For satisfactory operation of the valves of the character set forth, itis important to exclude dirt therefrom, not only after the drip plug isinstalled, but throughout the prior handling thereof, beforeinstallation. The entry of dirt through the inlet end of the drip plugmay be prevented by a strainer thereat. In such case the valve ispreferably between said strainer and the flow restriction, the latterexcluding dirt from the outlet end or the drip plug. In thisconstruction, the valve is thus also completely enclosed and protectedfrom mechanical injury.

/ According to another feature, the flow restric tion of the drip plugis so related to the flexible valve, that viscous oil is maintained atand adjacent the latter, which would facilitate valve closure under theslight suction thereon. The volume of oil adjacent the valve would,moreover, prevent the entry of air and leak of oil from the system,inasmuch as substantially all of such oil would have to be drawn pastthe valve before such failure of operation could occur.

While the flow restriction may be of any of the numerous alternativeconstructions shown in my parent application, Serial No. 580,668, fliedAugust 9th, 1922, of which this is a division, I have illustrativelyshown oneeinbodiment comprising a restriction or obstruction in the formor" a diaphragm. The restriction illustratively serves the additionalfunction of a back or limiting stop for the floating valve, which may bea flap valve held at its periphery. I have also shown an oil trapAccording to the present invention, I employ.

31 Claims. (Cl. 1847) interposed between the restriction and the bearingnipple. of the fitting, which serves as an additional safeguard toprevent the entry of ,air.

In the accompanying drawing in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle showing the piping system andlocation of typi cal bearings thereof, and,

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross-section showing one embodiment ofdrip plug construction.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing is shown diagrammatically the general layout ofthe chassis of an automobile, equipped with a lubricant supply unit S,illustratively at the dashboard, serving periodically to force lubricantinto the head of a distributing system which includes headers c and d,which communicate at their ends with two mains m, that extend the lengthof the channel frames and feed various bearings, at or near which thedrip plug terminals 73 are applied. Bridging conduits (not shown) areprovided, leading to distributing piping on the axles, and supplyingsimi lar drip plugs at or near the bearingsthereof so (not shown).

In Fig. 2, I have shown a drip plug embodying a vertical tube 10. openat both ends and having an integral lateral nipple 11 by which it isaffixed to the bearing, preferably in vertical position. The tube has anintegral ledge or shoulder. 12 therein near the upper end thereof, uponwhich rests the out-turned flange 13 of a sleeve 14 extending downwardtherefrom, affording substantial clearance thereabout with respect tothe inner wall of the fitting and extendingsubstantially below the boreof the nipple 11. The'lower end of the fitting is closed by a plug 15.

Upon the flange 13 rests the periphery of a bowl-shaped membrane 16. ofparchment, calf- 9 skin or a similar high resistance porous material,said membrane being bowed outward .into the tube and affording a highresistance toflow. At the concave side of the membrane is disposed aflexible valve illustratively a flap valve which comprises a disk 18 ofa limber material, such as leather or of thin spring steel, having astruck out tongue 17 adapted to flex out of the plane of the disk intothe cavity determined by the bowlshaped membrane. An inlet plug 19axially perforated at 20 affords a seat at its inner end for the flapvalve 1'? and serves to clamp the periphery 18 of the flap valve, theperiphery of the membrance 16 and flange 13 of the sleeve 14 securelyagainst the flange 12 and thus to complete the assembly.

In the operation of the system of Fig. 1 equipped with drip plugs 25such as those of Fig. 2, lubricant will readily unseat the flexiblecheck or nonreturn valves 17, to allow emission to the bearings at therates imposed by the corresponding restriction members 16.

After pressure on the pipe line has been discontinued, the tension oflubricant tending to leak from the piping exerts suction to close thelight non-return valves 17, of those drip plugs governing the flow tobearings at higher level, thereby excluding air from the system at thatregion and thus functioning to inhibit emission or leak as long as thepressure source is out of operation.

The restrictions 16 being beyond the corresponding non-return valves,they retain oil in engagement therewith after the system has ceasedfeeding, so that the suction due to the lubricant in the pipe branchesleading to bearings at lower level has first to pull such oil throughthe crevice between the valves 17 and the corresponding seats,-a slowoperation even with a defective valve,before air can go through. Oil byits capillary action helps seal the flexible valve and in fact, insuresits being pulled to its seat at once. Being viscous, oil resists beingdrawn through the crack by the very light force available.

Since a valve of leather or other limber material might droop so faraway from the seat as to be urged away from, rather than towards itsseat by the suction flow described, it is important to provide means tolimit the valve deflection. This is accomplished in the specificembodiment shown bythe engagement of the valve with the restrictionmember 16.

The valve being disposed within the drip plug, between the plug 19 atone end, and the restriction member 16, at the other, is not onlyprotected from mechanical injury, but may also be guarded fromderangement by the entry of dirt thereto, either through the inlet orthe outlet end of the drip plug. In such an installation, the drip plugmay be handled in usual course prior to installation in the lubricatingsystem, without danger of a particle of dirt settling between the valveand its seat. In service, a strainer before the valve keeps any dirtcarried with the oil, away from the valve and the restriction hindersthe entry of dirt from a bearing to the valve.

In the specific construction shown, the restriction or obstruction 16,thus performs no less than five useful functions. In addition togoverning the rate of emission under a given pressure, the restrictionelement also protects the valve from mechanical injury, it excludesforeign particles from the valve, it affords a dam to maintain a body ofoil adjacent the valve to assist valve closure and exclude air, and itlimits the deflection of the valve from its seat.

The present application is a divisional application of applicationSerial No. 282,960, filed June 5, 1928, which has matured into PatentNo. 1,734,027, patented October 29, 1929. The present application isspecifically directed to Fig. 2 of said Patent No. 1,734,027, saidpatent having claims specifically directed to Fig. 3.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 to which said patent is specifically directedis provided with a depending tube 14 as in Fig. 2 of the presentapplication but such tube is made of substantially the same diameter asthe feed pipe leading thereto with the result that all air is swept outof the depending tube 14 during operation of the system.

According to the present application the diameter of the tube 14 is suchthat the oil flowing through the tube will not sweep out all the air sothat the tube 14 will usually retain a substantial charge or filling ofair.

Further, it will be noted in the elected embodiment (Fig. 3) of saidPatent No. 1,734,027, the top or ceiling of the annular chamberencircling the tube 14 is positioned level with the outlet passagewaythrough the nipple 11 so that there will be substantially no airtrapping therein, whereas in the present application the ceiling of thischamber is positioned substantially above the outlet passage through thenipple 11 with the result that a substantial amount of air will also betrapped in the annular chamber as well as in the inner tube 14.

For this reason it is possible in the embodiment of the presentapplication to force lubricant into this air chamber compressing thetherein at a substantially greater rate than the lubricant may be forcedinto the bearing, and this charge of lubricant will gradually flow intothe bearing with a decrease in pressure with the expansion of air in thedrip plug body. With the embodiment of Patent No. 1,734,027, however,the tendency is to sweep all of the passages inside of the drip plugcasing free of air so that any charge of oil passing the restrictionwill immediately be forced into the bearing, there being no resilientbody to take up charge of lubricant which would then be subsequentlydispensed gradually to the bearing.

I claim:

1. In a drip plug, a fitting assembly having a valve seat therein, avalve disk of limber material coacting therewith, means for peripherallyretaining a portion of the circumference of said disk againstsubstantial separation from said seat,

and means limiting the deflection of the central part of said valve awayfrom its seat.

2. A drip plug including a valve seat, a flap valve coacting therewithand comprising a disk, means retaining a portion of the circumference ofthe periphery of said disk against said seat member, and means adjacentsaid valve for limiting the deflection of the latter away from saidseat.

3. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting element having means forapplication of an inlet including a nipple for application to a bearing11 and a part to which an inlet pipe is adapted to be applied, a valveseat in said fitting, a flap valve for coaction therewith, said valvecomprising a disk, a stop member limiting the deflection of said valveand having a circular periphery, and means including an inturned part onsaid fitting, clamping a portion of the periphery of said valve disk andthe periphery of said stop member against said valve seat member.

5. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of said valve said retainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the valve.

6. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of said valve, said retainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the valve, the valve retainerbeing provided with a plurality of spaced openings for permitting thepassage of lubricant through the valve.

7. A fiow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of said valve, saidretainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the valve, the valve retainerbeing clamped at a place along its periphery internally of the fittingaround the valve seat.

8. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of said valve, said retainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the valve, said valve retainerand said valve being retained in an enlargement in the end of a centralpassageway through the fitting.

9. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of said valve, said retainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the'valve, the valve retaineralso serving as a restriction.

10. A fiow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a flexible valve for coaction with said seat and a valveretainer for limiting movement of-said-valve, said retainer being formedso that it presents a concavity toward the valve, the valve retainer andthe valve being arranged to form a chamber between the valve retainerand the valve, the chamber retaining lubricant therein at all times andthereby causing ready seating of the valve upon tendency to reverseflow.

11. A fiow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve and a membrane restriction.

12. A fiow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve and a membrane restriction, the restriction consisting ofparchment.

13. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve and a membrane restriction, the restriction'consisting of calfskin.

14. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be 'applied and includinga restriction and a fiap valve held substantially rigidly to the fittingat one point.

15. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelementand a part to which an inlet pipe may be'applied and including arestriction and a fiap valve held substantially rigidly to the fittingat one point, the flap valve being formed of a limber piece of leather.7 16. A fiow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to 'a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including arestriction and a flap valve held substantially rigidly to the fittingat one point, the flap valve consisting of a thin sheet ofspring steel.

' 17. A fiow restriction metering fitting compris ing a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including adiaphragm restriction, a valve and an oil trap.

18. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement a and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and includinga diaphragm restriction, a valve and an oil trap, the valve, thediaphragm restriction and the oil trap being all positioned in the pathfrom the inlet to the outlet of th fitting in the order named.

19. A flow restriction metering fitting comprising a fitting assemblyincluding a nipple for application to a bearing or other carryingelement and a part to which an inlet pipe may be applied and including avalve seat, a valve coacting therewith and a membrane filter placedafter the valve between the inlet and the outlet of the fitting servingto prevent any dirt from being carried to the valve by reverse flow fromthe outlet to the inlet.

20. In a lubricating system, a check valve comprising, in combination, aconduit member having an opening therethrough and a valve seat at oneend of said opening, a shoulder formed in said member adjacent saidvalve seat, a limiting member abutting said shoulder, a projection onsaid limiting member, and a flexible valve be- .tween said seat and saidlimiting member, said valve comprising a piece of a limber material.

21. In a lubricating system, a check valve, comprising, in combination,a conduit member having a recess terminating in a valve seat, a shoulderformed in said member adjacent said seat, a limiting member abuttingsaid shoulder and having openings therethrough, a projection on saidlimiting member located centrally of said valve seat, and a flexiblevalve between said seat and said limiting member and beneath said seat.

22. In a lubricating system, a check valve comprising, in combination,conduit means including a valve seat, a flexible valve for cooperatingwith said seat, said valve comprising a piece of a limber material, andmeans for limiting the movement of said valve from its seat.

23. In a lubricating system, a check valve, comprising, in combination,a conduit member having a valve seat, a limiting member adjacent saidseat, a flap valve between said seat and said member, and an air pocket,said valve normally held resiliently against said seat by the air insaid pocket. a

24. As an element in a lubricating system comprising a source oflubricant supply, pump means, and conduits leading from said pump meansto the bearings to be lubricated; a check valve including a valve seatand a flap valve, said valve normally being held resiliently against itsseat and forced from its seat by the pressure created by said pumpmeans.

25. In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit comprising a supplychamber, an accumulating chamber, an apportioningrestriction betweensaid chambers, a check valve preventing return flow of lubricant to saidsupply chamber, said accumulating chamber being arranged to placelubricant delivered thereto under yielding pressure, said accumulatingchamber being in open connection at all times with a bearing to belubricated.

26. In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit comprising arestriction apportioning means, a supply chamber'and an accumulatingchamber, means for preventing return flow of lubricant from said supplychamber-to said conduit means, and means in said accumulating chamberfor placing, the lubricant delivered thereto under yielding pressure,said accumulating chamber having open connection at all times with abearing to be lubricated;

2'7. In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from'the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit comprising anapportioning restriction, a supply chamber at the inlet side of saidrestriction and an accumulating chamber at the outlet side of saidrestriction, lubricant being forced from said supply chamber into saidaccumulating'chamber; through said restriction by said pump, meansfor-preventing return fiow of lubricant to said supply chamber, andmeans in said accumulating chamber for placing the lubricant deliveredthereto under pressure, said accumulating chamber being in opencommunication at all times with a bearing to be lubricated. s

28. In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump toapportioning'units, one for each bearing; each apportioning unitincluding means for proportioning charges of lubricant among thebearings, valve means to prevent reverse flow through said unit and anair trap chamber at'the outlet side of said proportioning means, saidproportioning means serving to prevent the maximum pressure exertedthereupon from being communicated to said trap chamber.

29.-I-n a centralized lubricating system of the type; comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit includingrestriction proportioning means, an air trap for storing saidproportioned charges of lubricant which have passed throughsaidproportioning means, and means for preventing return flow from saidair trap to said piping means.

30; In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit including a highresistance proportioning restriction and a flap valve to prevent flowbetween: the bearings at different levels and a reservoirair trapchamber beyond said valve and restriction.

-,31. In a centralized lubricating system of the type comprising a pumpand conduit means for conducting lubricant from the pump to apportioningunits, one for each bearing; each apportioning unit including a tubularbody, and a highly resistant flow metering interceptor for foreignparticles extending into said body, said interceptor being annularlyclamped at the opposite inlet and outlet faces thereof.

- I JOSEPH BIJUR.

